Meet the Author/Illustrator

Robert J. Blake

When Robert Blake was growing up, his best talent was his ability to pretend. "In school I had a very special teacher who recognized this and taught me how to really read, how to pretend with words, and how to feel the words," he says. "The more I read, the more 'what ifs' came to mind. And the more I asked 'what if?' the more I felt like writing."

When he began to write and illustrate his own books, Blake decided he would try to "live" each of the characters he wrote about. Ever since, he has traveled to the locations where his stories take place, so he can write and paint right there. "For me," says Blake, "that is living a story, and I hope it makes my stories feel real."

Robert Blake grew up with lots of animals in his house — dogs, ducks, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, lizards, turtles, snakes, birds, fish, and two flying squirrels! Plus a tarantula. Do you think his love of animals shows in his illustrations for Akiak? How does he show the sled dogs' emotions in his artwork?